This Easy Baked Tofu with Sesame and Soy Sauce is delicious and also makes great leftovers!

Baked Tofu that's both easy and delicious!

I had such good success when I tried a recipe for stir-fried tofu, I vowed I would cook it again soon, so this is my second tofu adventure. The recipe is adapted from a basic recipe for baking tofu in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, and once again I was thrilled with how this turned out. If you're a tofu novice (like me!) this has to be the easiest possible way to cook it, and with only three main ingredients, this is definitely an Easy South Beach Recipe, headed for the section in the recipe archives where I file recipes with five ingredients or less.

Baked tofu will keep in the fridge for several days, and it's a great addition to salads, stir-fries, or sauteed vegetables. Mark Bittman also recommends serving the baked tofu with some type of sauce, which would certainly be tasty. However, I brushed the tofu with the soy-sesame mixture several times while it cooked, and I thought this was delicious just as is. (I couldn't resist sprinkling on a few black sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onions for the photos, but they're definitely not essential.) I confess, I've been eating it as a snack, and it will probably disappear before I have a chance to try using it in a stir-fry or with veggies.

Start with a package of extra firm tofu, cut it in half crosswise to make two tofu "steaks" and blot dry with paper towels on both sides. (Next time I would cut one more time to make 4 servings, since the glazed edges are so tasty.)

Mix together soy sauce and sesame oil, then brush the tofu liberally with this mixture. Be sure to brush both sides, and let it absorb into the tofu a little before you put it on the baking sheet.

I baked the tofu in my toaster oven to keep the house cool. Brush it with the soy-sesame mixture about every 15 minutes, until all the mixture is used.

It's done when the tofu is firm and nicely glazed and browned. For me that was just slightly over an hour, but cooking time will depend partly on how well you have drained the tofu.

Cut tofu in half crosswise. (I would also cut each piece in half again to make four pieces, not shown in these photos.) Blot each piece on both sides with papers towels, pressing down to remove as much liquid as you can. (You don't have to do this as carefully as when cooking tofu with a quicker method, but the wetter the tofu the longer you'll have to bake it.)

Turn oven on and set to 350 F. Whisk together the sesame oil and Tamari in a small bowl, then use pastry brush to brush both sides of the tofu pieces generously with the mixture. Let tofu marinate in the soy-sesame mixture for 5-10 minutes while the oven heats.

Spray a non-stick baking sheet with olive oil or non-stick spray and place tofu slices on sheet. Bake about one hour, not turning, but brushing with the soy-sesame mixture several times, until the glaze is all gone. It's done when the tofu feels firm to the touch, and looks glazed and nicely browned. I cooked my tofu about 70 minutes, using a toaster oven.

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46 comments:

So glad you're enjoying tofu!Baked tofu is one of my favorite ways to have it--this looks simple and delicious. The slabs of baked tofu can also be used as a simple sandwich filler--great with lettuce, sprouts, avocado and whatever else strikes your fancy!

Kalyn,I had planned on making Bittman's tofu tonight myself. I love this easy way of preparing it. One thing he suggests that I always do now, is to freeze the tofu after you buy it. I do this right in the original packaging. Then thaw it out and prepare it just as you did. It gives the tofu a "meatier" texture and the crust that develops on top is just great! I use this in stir fry recipes, and eat it alone as a snack as well.Brady

Ooooh, that looks good. What is the baked texture like? I love tofu, but have never baked it myself. I like Ricki's idea to use this as a sandwich filling, too. I wonder how it would handle a splash of chili oil. Now I want tofu!

Kalyn I always forget about baking as a method for cooking tofu. But it does make so much sense - low fat, easy and gives a lovely texture and flavour. Neat recipe, this would go down well in my house.

Do you know, I've never had tofu? It's one of those foods that suffers from a PR problem - if you're not vegetarian, you don't realyl think abotu eating it! This looks great though and I love the photo garnish too :) Thanks for the inspiration.

I'm not sure how I missed this when it first came out, Kalyn, but I'm definitely going to give it a try, especially now that I've got such great access to very, very affordable tofu right in my neighborhood!

i tried cuttin the tofu in cubes, marinated it in soy sauce and sesame oil... in a separate bowl, marinated chicken cut into cubes and marinated it the same way... (chicken should be marinated a bit longer) baked the chicken first then added the tofu... made a sauce by mixing a bit of sesame oil, sesame seeds, soy sauce, bit of sugar to sweeten, added a bit of water and cornstarch to thicken, simmer in pan to thicken and poured it on top... yum yum!!! top with whatever chopped green stuff you have... mmm... good!!!

Just wanted to let you know that I made this today (loved it), and posted it on my blog with a link back to this one. Every recipe of yours that I try I end up in love with. This one is no exception. Thanks for your great recipes!

I use soy sauce and then mix sesame oil with chili oil. Just to give it that extra bite. Also, I put in just a little bit of sugar to bring out some flavor. It's amazing what opposites can do! And then sesame seeds of course. And maybe a couple spices if I'm in the mood. But it always turns out great!

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